This isn’t “reporting,” but puff-talk, a somewhat amazing bit of self-promotion dropped into a supposed news story, perhaps a news story written for the sole purpose of pushing the media-generating meme that Politico and NBC have the first debate locked up and scheduled, which if they do, will be news to presidential campaigns and all other journalists.

This isn’t “bash Politico” week at HughHewitt.com, but the idea that a news organization would declare a major event to be a fact when it isn’t a fact is troubling and again underscores that Politico’s commitment to objective journalism has gotten lost in the last four years.

Again. it is a terrible idea for the GOP candidates to allow hard left NBC and trending-left Politico call the shots and frame the first debate. They should just say no and agree to meet at the Reagan Library with agreed upon questioners down the road when a media gala won’t detract from the crucial battles in the Congress.